Official MSI P7N Diamond (780i) Discussion/Review/Overclock/Guide/BIOS Thread

[loonym]

Loonym, thats very interesting. I have been trying to get your results on the e8400 for some time now. Have you a link to the 1.21 bios? many thx.

Looks like it's been removed from the d/l area at MSI forum? Alrighty then, if you'll msg me an email addy I'll send it to you. I have some better benches and overclocks on that e8400 than what I posted last night. On higher multi, lower fsb just as I speculated in that post. Fun cpu

[AaronYuri]

v1.2B1 BIOS added here: http://forum.msi.com.tw/index.php?to...4765#msg864765 (Borrowed your post, loonym)

[malik22]

Hey guys Im using the 1.2B2 bios and before that I was using a old beta bios like I wrote in my last post that old one didnt cause me one issue in 4 months now with this new one I can set my oce like before play for hours theres np with that or stability the only prob with 1.2B2 is that when I wake up in the morning and cold boot nothing happens I have to clear cmos and reset everything I dont know what the prob could be I set fsb term to 1.313 instead of 25 in the old bios and the cpu gtl ref to 0.8968 from 65 in old bios maybe Im setting one of those two wrong.

[Overspeed]

Looks like it's been removed from the d/l area at MSI forum? Alrighty then, if you'll msg me an email addy I'll send it to you. I have some better benches and overclocks on that e8400 than what I posted last night. On higher multi, lower fsb just as I speculated in that post. Fun cpu

Thx loonym and Thx Aaron for the link. This is a little off topic but I beleive critical for getting any results for me... This Transcend ram i'm using (see sig) despite its advertised capibilities, just doesnt want to cooperate and keep the system stable. I am unable to reach anywhere close to 4.0ghz. Thinking that perhaps it was too much load on the NB, I removed two sticks and I got better results ... not loonym results, but better. I think I want to replace my 4x1gb config with a 2x2gb.

I bought this p7n board way back, there wearnt many 2x2gb kits available. Now 2x2gb kits are much more readily available and by many different manufacturers. Im afraid I don't know a whole lot about what manufacterer is best, or what kit with what specs is best, and I would like to ask for some recommendations here. I remember once upon a time, the OC community was all about the Micron D9 sticks, but i'm not sure thats the case anymore. Your opinions are valued.

OS

[loonym]

I'm not really the right guy to ask about ram. My ocz's are ok but they won't overclock at all.

[Overspeed]

I'm not really the right guy to ask about ram. My ocz's are ok but they won't overclock at all.

Just in case my last post came across wrong, I'm not looking to OC the RAM, just need advice on a high quality 2x2gb kits to pair with the baord. I will run RAM at default timings for now.

[loonym]

Well as I said I like my ocz c4 reapers. They won't oc more than maybe 50-75mhz but they will let me run nice and tight with 1T. I have a couple other decent 2x2gb kits too, patriot viper and adata vitesta that'll run 4-4-4-12 at 800. I really don't try and go much over 800 with any of them since I'd rather try and wring the mhz out of my cpu

[Fiskbit]

I've not done too much with it yet, but I'm using Mushkin RAM and it's doing fine. It's been performing well and should overclock well, though I don't know yet for sure. I picked my sticks out based on the fact that they're 2x2 GB, 1066, 5-5-5-15, and 2.0-2.1v. The voltage was lower than all of the other similar RAM, so I imagine it should be able to go a little further. You should pick out RAM based on brand and rated speed, timings, and voltage; in the event you want to underclock for really tight timings, this RAM will probably do well. I read a bit about the D9 stuff, but that doesn't appear to be on any of the 2gb sticks.


I had a reboot last night and decided to put in a ticket with MSI support describing my problem and various things I've tried. The response was pretty disappointing: try all of the hardware in confirmed working computers and RMA the motherboard if the problem persists. No settings to try or anything like that. This is my first Intel desktop and my only new computer in 5 years; there's no way I can test the majority of its hardware in any other system. Not sure at all what I'm going to do about that. :\

[dogg]

Hi...

Just changed my Geil evo one 800 CL4 RAMs to Mushkin 1066 CL5 /5-5-5-15 T2/.....

The same reason to choose those /2.0-2.1 voltage/... I just wanted to underclock them to 880 to keep 1:1 ratio with my cpu oc and keep timings CL4 and T1 as with previous Geil sticks at this MHz.. didn't work.. just releasing timings and T2 helped to work with poor results..

But I checked , that they better perform at CL5 T2 1066 /well, stock/ in different ratio and bit higher cpu clock.. all stable... Not drastical increase /cca 400 read, 500 write,1.5 Ns latency/ but CL5 T2..
Tried them run underclocked at 800 CL4 T1 and they performed worse than Geil sticks..
Anyway, probably thanx to higher RAM freq things running more smooth /TDU, STALKER/..
Any ideas about how to manage them to run T1 at 880-900mhz?

BIOS: Tried Bios 1.2B2 and video corruption issue appeared soon so I flashed back to 1.2B1..

Nice work with e8400 and 8800gt, loonym ... I wish to get somewhere around..

[loonym]

You tried voltage with those and they still wouldn't run T1 at 800-880 dogg?? Good everest numbers at 1066.

[malik22]

Any help on my last question.

[loonym]

I had nothing good from beta 1.22 bios. I only used it a very short few minutes before I went back to 1.21 beta, malik22. Maybe someone else can give you better feedback.

[XavierMaxx]

Hey guys Im using the 1.2B2 bios and before that I was using a old beta bios like I wrote in my last post that old one didnt cause me one issue in 4 months now with this new one I can set my oce like before play for hours theres np with that or stability the only prob with 1.2B2 is that when I wake up in the morning and cold boot nothing happens I have to clear cmos and reset everything I dont know what the prob could be I set fsb term to 1.313 instead of 25 in the old bios and the cpu gtl ref to 0.8968 from 65 in old bios maybe Im setting one of those two wrong.

For reference, here's another link to my conversion chart:
P7N Diamond BIOS Translation Chart

25 for FSB Term in the old BIOS is about ~1.245v. 65 for CPU GTL in the old BIOS is about .8504v at that FSB term voltage. At your new setting of 1.3125v for FSB Term, the CPU GTL goes up to 0.8968v at its same setting, so that one is correct.

I've been testing 1.2b2 for a while now, not too many problems with it...or at least nothing I haven't had in other revisions. I never had cold boot issues per se, but I have certainly had no POST issues where I had to clear CMOS - whenever I change any hardware around it does that (anything from reseating RAM to changing a card's slot, USB front panel connectors, etc.). I only do that stuff unplugged but get this - when I replaced my PSU, it booted just fine afterward, so it's definitely something to do with the board's detection of configuration. I'm not sure if that helps you at all, but my symptoms lead me to believe that a more chronic form of cold boot issues is likely due to how the board was flashed and cleared on the BIOS update.

[bluspikez]

Im afraid I don't know a whole lot about what manufacterer is best, or what kit with what specs is best, and I would like to ask for some recommendations here. I remember once upon a time, the OC community was all about the Micron D9 sticks, but i'm not sure thats the case anymore. Your opinions are valued.

I really like my Crucial Ballistix Tracers (have Micron chips, pretty sure they are D9)...sure, they were kind of pricey compared to other 2x2gb kit, but they are very nice...Can easily run them at 800 @ 4-4-4-12 and can push to around 900-1000 without having to loosen the timings, and will run at 1066 with just a slight loosening on some timings. I'm pretty sure they could run 1T as well, but need to tweak still for that. Haven't really wanted to push the OC's too much during the summer since the temps in my room are quite high, and I hate running my components hot. Plus, I am folding away 24/7 (CPU and GPUS are all folding....about 8-10k ppd ) and don't want to have to worry about stability.

[dogg]

loonym..

I tried voltages up to 2.2v /that should be enough for underclock/... But when I tried 1066 and it showed that results.. I was impressed, because before, my goal was to keep 1:1 ratio with CL4 and I was sure, that T1 perform much better than T2... But not with these ones...
I didn't give it long time till now and I think it quite opened me some more space for oc /in BIOS changed just CPU V, RAM V, NB V, SB V ,SLI RAM disabled, everything else on auto..running 1.2B1/ and it's now possible to try more different ratios with wider frequency spectrum..

One more question about something else.. I remember you had with your 8800gt sli PCI frequency set to 105.. Did you find out some more about this since than /I think you was not sure that time/?

[loonym]

I set 105 to 107 for pcie freq when I overclock my vid cards. Tons of people seem to think it makes a difference although I can't tell either way

edit: I was going to test the new 9800 GX2 I got with my msi 780i but the card is tooo long to fit in the case... it hits the hdds in the lower cage in my case lol

[Fiskbit]

What case is this? I recall you were going to make a build using the same case I have, so I hope you're not having trouble fitting that card into this mammoth case.

[AaronYuri]

Ram that thing in there, loonym!

dogg,

Try the other 2 memory slots - usually overclocks better.

[loonym]

lolol... Fiskbit, I got busy with some rmas for some different builds and that case is still sitting on the floor beside me... empty
I promise I'll start it the first of the week ok? lolol

edit: Aaron, have seen the length of these GX2's? I was amazed by the thing, reminds me of some of the old 3Dfx cards

[AaronYuri]

Cut a hole in the case if you have to. You can poke it in there somehow, I'm sure.

[dogg]

found some 1:1 setup with nice latency...

thx aaron.. I will try that as well.. just to see..

[loonym]

Very nice numbers dogg, that's some nice ram with latency like that

[malik22]

For reference, here's another link to my conversion chart:
P7N Diamond BIOS Translation Chart

25 for FSB Term in the old BIOS is about ~1.245v. 65 for CPU GTL in the old BIOS is about .8504v at that FSB term voltage. At your new setting of 1.3125v for FSB Term, the CPU GTL goes up to 0.8968v at its same setting, so that one is correct.

I've been testing 1.2b2 for a while now, not too many problems with it...or at least nothing I haven't had in other revisions. I never had cold boot issues per se, but I have certainly had no POST issues where I had to clear CMOS - whenever I change any hardware around it does that (anything from reseating RAM to changing a card's slot, USB front panel connectors, etc.). I only do that stuff unplugged but get this - when I replaced my PSU, it booted just fine afterward, so it's definitely something to do with the board's detection of configuration. I'm not sure if that helps you at all, but my symptoms lead me to believe that a more chronic form of cold boot issues is likely due to how the board was flashed and cleared on the BIOS update.

Thx man so Im setting them right? cause with this bios and the 1.2B1 I get this cold boot issue does the P07 use the old method for fsb term and gtl ref?

[Overspeed]

found some 1:1 setup with nice latency...

thx aaron.. I will try that as well.. just to see..

dogg, is this ther ram your using?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...N&promoid=1015

OS

[dogg]

dogg, is this ther ram your using?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...N&promoid=1015

OS

No, older cooling solution.. but RAMs probably the same..

http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/...ail.asp?id=661